Confused Japanese tourists led Utah police on high-speed chase

SALT LAKE CITY (REUTERS) - A Japanese couple on vacation in Utah was pulled from a rental car at gunpoint near the Arizona border over the weekend after leading police on an accidental high-speed chase because they didn't understand US traffic laws.

Utah Highway Patrol officers conducting a drunk driving sting operation spotted the couple's car swerving between lanes on Interstate 15 early on Saturday, according to Lieutenant Brad Horne of the Utah highway Patrol.

Suspecting a drunk driver, Horne flipped on his lights and sirens and went after the vehicle, which was traveling at speeds of less than 40 miles (64 km) per hour. But instead of pulling over, the driver hit the gas pedal and sped away, Horne said.

Patrol cars gave chase at speeds that bounced between 35 and 75 miles per hour. Officers closed the interstate in both directions, shut down off ramps and lay a set of tire spikes on the highway to stop the car.